MIZUFUNE Rokushu (1912-1980)

Medium: Woodblock

Mizufune was born in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture. He entered the Tokyo School of Fine Arts where he studied sculpture, graduating in 1936. He studied with Hiratsuka Unichi to learn woodblock printmaking techniques. While still a student in 1932, he co-founded the artist group Shin Hanga Shudan (New Print Group). Another group member was Ono Tadashige, who had developed his own printing method of placing lighter colors over a dark background which resulted in somewhat dark and coarse print images.
Mizufune’s prints reflect his sculpture background. Strongly contrasting colors are noteworthy and bright colors are nearly always located in a single area, with strong concentration on edge lines.
After the Pacific war he worked as an art teacher. From 1960 until 1977 he was headmaster of Kanto Gakuin Primary School. But he continued being both a sculptor and printmaker. Rokushu Mizufune participated in the International Print biennials of Tokyo and elsewhere. In 1959 he became a member of Japan Print Association. From 1961 to 1962 he worked in the U.S.A. in Vermont as artists in residence.

Selected Collections:
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, USA.
British Museum, London, UK.
National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA.
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC, USA.
University of Chicago, Chicago, USA.